Suzanne Carbonaro

Achieving any goal is invigorating and nurturing to the soul.  Accomplishing something that one did not realize was all that important  until faced with the chance to do so, incredible.  Saturday, my family and friends registered to run the 2010 Jingle Bell Walk/Run in Bethlehem, PA.  I registered my kids, husband and friend way back in September and just put it on the back burner.  Truthfully, I had bigger fish to fry over the last few months and the frying did not include this race.  It just sat on the calendar as a reminder that December was just too far away to consider in my day to day.

Sure, I would walk here and there knowing that the December morning would be inevitable, but certainly I did not train.  As flurries began to fall, we left our home to travel about an hour and half to Bethlehem where we, the Peppermint Patties, met to embroider our customized shirts of the same name with our individual race numbers and adorn our shoes with a chip that would track our progress.

The nerves began to rush upon me like a child searching for presents under the tree on Christmas morning.  The thought of running this race was down right daunting.  Somehow, I made it to the start with my friends and husband nearby.  Soon, we were off running or in my case jogging softly as the flurries moved swiftly over us decorating the sky with their festive glow.  The sky was amazing and the rush of the runners, motivating.  We sang, we talked, we sprinted through each mile marker and walked to each water stand just to catch our breath.  And then, it happened.  My friend Danielle looked over at me struggling up an incline midway through the race and said “You gotta get it- get it, get it…” I was hooked.  I needed to do this.  I needed to “get it.” How many times do I have to “get it” during the day in order to make things happen? A dozen times, twenty times?  I just had to find it in my soul to just forge ahead.

Debbie, my other friend, added that I needed to stay focused on a visual that seemed attainable- a sign, a landmark, a participant’s costume ahead of us.  See if you can see your goal, you can attain it with a little motivation and strength she enthusiastically stated.  You just have to “get it” and let everything go.  So, that last half mile, something in me just got it and across the finish line the three friends launched.  It was an amazing feeling.

I didn’t know how important this race was until I was faced with the idea of accomplishing it, doing it, crossing the finish and feeling so outstanding.  I just had to finish and finish with enthusiasm thanks to my friends Danielle and Debbie who helped me “get it”.

This Thursday I had the opportunity to facilitate professional development for teachers in the Pennsbury School District in Pennsylvania.  Specifically, teachers and teacher candidates from Afton Elementary and Quarry Hill School were in attendance.  I used a tool called prezi which allows for more of an animated and interactive experience for the audience and presenter.  In the prezi, we looked at technology tools that could allow for collaboration, social bookmarking and backchanneling.  See the full presentation by taking this link: http://prezi.com/nqnuvvjlkgcs/21st-century-tools/

Image: democracyforum.blogspot.com

I often have the opportunity to talk with students about developing a proactive and professional presence online using today’s collaborative networking tools.  Doing so allows for them to compete for jobs while building their brand.  Building your brand successfully can open doors to possibilities that did not exist without this networking structure.  And consistency in brand is vital for product (your) authenticity. Below is a link to two presentations with additional links and information regarding E-Portfolios and tools for networking one’s brand.

Never be complacent with who you are today, always look to sharpen your saw for tomorrow.

E-Portfolio Presentation: https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dfbxj94k_814gj287qcv

E-Portfolio Prezi: http://prezi.com/i_8dqhmdh9yo/taskstream-e-portfolio-tool/

New Classroom Tools: Collaboration Sampler: https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0Ad-YsRMv5bPqZGNrZm05ZndfNjAyaGtkMnEzZnc&hl=en

Related articles

HOW TO: Monitor Your Reputation and Boost Your Brand Online (personalbrandingblog.com)
What’s Your Personal Brand’s Irresistibility Factor? (socialmediatoday.com)
7 Personal Branding Predictions for 2011 (personalbrandingblog.com)
Gartner Says Social-Networking To Replace E-Mail (webguild.org)

Completion- to finish, to accomplish, to close the door on one event and move onto another event.  But, when we complete something or something completes us, is it really ever over?  My brother Paul completed the NYC Marathon in just over 6 hours today.  He completed the race but this race is never really over for him.  Now he is analyzing it- looking at it from all of its corners- beginning to end, stop and start, breath, pain and push.  He is changed by the event, he will ponder its massive impact on his life but will it ever be complete.  He will always be changed by it, he will always process it and he will always remember it, keeping it alive for him for ever.  Are we complete as human beings without the people and experiences to make us whole?  Take for instance the fiction book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory written by Roald Dahl.  The protagonist, Charlie Buckett, entered the world of Willie Wonka through a will, dream and a bit of luck.  He took the opportunity to penetrate this world with all of his being and he completed this mission by eventually running the factory himself.  Yet, his fate was not complete- he had much more to do and accomplish as seen is the author’s sequels to the story.  When we find what we need to complete us, we have to just go for it, push our way through the maze of life, the difficulty of the challenges in front of us and just get there, take on the event, seize the opportunity and let it complete us, make us whole, mold us into who we are destined to be.  And as we do this- as we allow event after event and experience after experience to complete us, let us always remember that completion is a way of shaping us as people.  And this shaping is continuous.

People complete us too, affecting us for good.  Without Bonnie, there is no Clyde.  Without Pooh, there is no Piglet.  Without Babe Ruth, there is no 1927 Yankees.  People affect us and they complete us, but this completion is continuous.  We grow and develop with this added resource that gives us direction, encouragement and purpose.  Take for example, Mother Theresa whose blessed ways saved a nation of poor and disenchanted people forever.  Or Bill Gates, whose Microsoft empire shaped the minds of consumers forever.  School Chancellors, Vice Principals, Legislators, Executives, Volunteers- they all work to shape, give, save and complete those around them.

We need completion, we need organization, we need direction…and we have to let these completions happen in order to grow.  As important it is to successfully complete an event, it is even more important to analyze it, formulate observations, make conclusions and allow it to shape us and impact us for good.

I will definitely see you tomorrow.  You can count on me- I will definitely get the job done.  No problem, that will definitely happen.  These are frequent statements I hear and read everyday.  It is an interesting word, the word definite; interesting in that so many of my college students spell the word definite wrong in their essays and reflections- they spell it defiantly or definately.  Interesting in how it is said sometimes so quickly, without thinking what the word truly means.  According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary the word definite means “having distinct or certain limits”, “free of all ambiguity, uncertainty, or obscurity” and “unquestionable”.  As the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Coordinator for a School of Education, I have been told by the Board of Examiners that in order for a program of study to receive national recognition, the mastery of skills be must be evidenced without question in the artifacts submitted.  The accreditation evidence must be definitely and prepondously apparent without doubt, otherwise officials will not give a program national recognition.  So I have worked tirelessly for the last year to make sure our programs, all 20, are in sufficient shape to show definite mastery of skills across 6 to 8 key assessment tasks proving, that yes, absolutely we have achieved the NCATE seal of accreditation.

Definite means committed without question.  In the recent blockbuster hit The Social Network, Mark Zuckerberg, committed to a venture proposed to him by two classmates.  He said he would definitely help.  And the rest of the movie is about how his friend and classmates sued him for not following through on his commitment; how he allowed ambiguity to envelope his relationships and commitments.  Perhaps he felt that definite meant probably or maybe?

What makes something definite?  Is it something that is forever?  Is it a phase that seems like it could last forever?  Is definite a word that can be interpreted differently by different people?  Can nothing in this world be definite?  Clearly my father, Mr. Joe Marotta, who passed away two years ago this week, told me the day before he died that he definitely could not wish me a happy birthday because he would not be here.  He said he would be tired and he was uncertain if he would get a chance to wish me a happy birthday.  What he was sure of was how much he remembered about the day I was born.  He had that down cold.  He definitely knew how he felt about that occasion in his life.

I think there are definites in life.  They may become so routine that you take them for granted, but I have to believe in the definites because they are what help me breathe and live and experience all that life has to offer.  We have to appreciate the constants, the people and things that are always present to complete us, make us whole, shape the way we do life.  They are the committed few who say yes and mean it.  And when you find a definite, hold onto that sure thing.

With all the sadness and uncertainly in life, it is good to know that there are those you can count on to light your path, give you air to breathe, guide you and carry you through life’s difficult obstacles.  Cherish your definites….and love them everyday.

The sun will rise somehow everyday giving way to new possibilities.  The light of today’s sun which will rise completely by 7:08 am this October 13th, will provide a beacon of opportunity for all of us.  Imagine the gift this new day brings…birthdays, accomplishments, fall festivals in school, successful presentations at work.  A new day brings with it the idea of hope.  This hope comes from our spirit of always wanting to achieve more, make more, give more, receive more, love more.  It is interesting to see how much hope drives us in our everyday.  In Holland, MI, there is a small college of just over 3,000 students whose hope is to graduate and make a mark on this earth.  Part of Hope College’s missions states, “to inspire passion for knowledge that grows into understanding and bears fruit in wisdom.”  This should be our mission everyday.  Do we inspire a thirst, a passion for growth, a desire to succeed in the people that we meet?  Are we beacons like the sun to someone, giving them hope?  We can be, if we pay attention and use the light of the sun to see through a difficult mood, a challenging situation, an obstacle course of opportunity.  Albert Einstein once said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” And with every sunrise, even on the cloudiest of days, there is hope in our present;  to love incredibly, give unconditionally, smile exceptionally, guide assertively, connect soulfully.  The sun ushers in a window of hope that today will be a magnificent time to reach within our core to touch another’s life for good.  As the lyrics from the song from the Broadway favorite Wicked cry out:

“I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true
But I know I’m who I am today
Because I knew you…

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good.”

If we can inspire today, we have truly lived today.  If we can love today, we have truly shared today.  If we can be the sun today, we have truly saved someone today.

Shoes complete a look, enhance an outfit and support an activity.  Have you ever thought about what they have experienced?  How about how they brand a person or even how they take on a life of their own?  My grandmother’s very good friend, Elisabeth Kubler -Ross, Swiss-born psychiatrist, a pioneer in Near-death studies, once said that,  “People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.” Could our shoes be stained-glass windows and could they be a part of our soul that shines from within?  I say yes.  Shoes carry us.  They carry our mood and they carry our activities.  My father, Joe Marotta, walked a lot of miles in his shoes- he wore Saucony’s the day he died after completing the New York City Marathon in 2008.  He wore the very same shoes in Jerusalem just a few months prior.  He journeyed the path of Jesus. His shoes were filled with the dirt and earth of the experience. His passion to succeed shined through his core and his core was carried by his grey and white running shoes.

How about Ghandi’s shoes, or Eleanor Roosevelt’s shoes, or baseball legend Lou Gehrig‘s – their shoes have seen a lot of miles too.  Treaties, protests and base paths were all part of the routes of these greats.  We wear our shoes for comfort and purpose.  We experience life in these shoes and they have a past and a future.  I choose my foot wear first- deciding what I will do, how I need to move and what I need to brand.  I walk with confidence in whatever pair of stilettos, patent leather, athletic, or designer foot wear I choose.  I build the outfit around the shoe– the comfortable, sometimes frilly, 4 inch cup of love.  The cup envelopes my foot which moves assertively to every event, contest, classroom and meeting.

The shoe takes on a life and when you are not having a good day, the shoe emulates that mood.  If your life is in disarray, the shoes can’t seem to find their way properly into the closest.  Instead, they lay scattered about your room, looking for order.  Shoes carry you safely to the mailbox to grab today’s mail, they comfort your run and they support your deal.  Having good footwear properly prepares you for today’s gathering and tomorrow’s closing.  They truly encompass your soul, support your disposition and hug your heal giving you the opportunity to move with purpose.  They sparkle and shine with every step and exemplify your very being.  No wonder they are the one item that everyone continues to buy in this challenging economy and the one item we cannot leave our homes without–shoes are the staple and sparkle of the soul.

Last weekend I received a gift that I never knew I needed.  We live a very tiny life as the lyrics of the Danny Gokey song of the same name clearly express,

“But sometimes I think, it’s just a simple thing
I close my eyes and I realize all I really need
Is a love I had, and the love I had to give
Anything else there is – is insignificant
In this tiny life.”

My friend Danielle took me to the University of Notre Dame and never have I been so impressed and awed by a community, campus and a collaboration of tradition as I was last weekend.  The beautiful structures that surrounded me, the energy that consumed me and the culture that sucked me right in have changed me for good.  I think the most impressive artifact of the glorious campus for me was the beautiful mural of what has come to be known as “Touchdown Jesus“.  The image of Jesus is pictured on the face of the library and it seemingly watches over university visitors and students and carefully caresses Notre Dame Stadium.  In fact, from our stadium seats, you can see “Touchdown” shining down on the fans and players on the field.  The detail of Jesus’s face, the mosaic tiles of the mural each depicting a different snapshot of His life  and presence of the structure overlooking the crystal clear looking glass pool in the middle of campus took my breath away.

My friend Danielle is a lifelong ND fan with her grandfather having held a prestigious position overseeing the university’s food services for several years before his passing.  Seeing the university and absorbing its intoxicating culture through her eyes made the experience so much more special.  We took part in all of the pre- and post activities including pep rallies, traditional songs, prayers in the Basilica and at the grotto, of course game day morning breakfast in one of the finest dining halls in the country and a post game victory cocktail at the infamous Legends of Notre Dame pub just outside the stadium.  Notre Dame is magnificent and I can see why fans from all over the county rush to see the Irish compete in sports and celebrate the tradition of ‘Ol Notre Dame:

“Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send the volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky,
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all,
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to Victory.”

I am forever changed by the tiny weekend at the end of my summer where I fell in love with the Irish.  It is another important experience of my tiny life on this earth that I will never forget.

Last night, the first day of school for the 2010-2011 school year in the Princeton area, I had the opportunity to address some peers at the Princeton Public Library on a topic I adore- Web 2.0 Classroom Tools.  My audience was a mixed bag of educators, parents and interested individuals.  Sharing concepts such as backchanneling using Twitter and Today’s Meet, videoconferencing/sharing by way of YouTube, Skype and TinyChat and microcasting tools including Jing, Audacity and Delicious, generated a healthy discussion about commitment to lifelong learning, professional development for oneself and what Web 2.0 really is and how it affects today’s learners.  This discussion transitioned into a Skype call with two area educators, Heather Hersey and Cathy Stutzman- members of the Hunderton County School District. When Tim O’Reilly coined the phrase Web 2.0 in the early 2000′s he truly labeled a concept that is multi-faceted, open-ended and participatory.  Web 2.0 encompasses the notion that anyone can publish, broadcast and collaborate on-line and mostly for free.  To learn more about our presentation at the Princeton Public Library, please follow these links below:

http://web20forkids.wikispaces.com

Tech Talk: https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AUR9Ezg5CXI6ZGZieGo5NGtfMTIwNWMybTNzNGN0&hl=en

Excitement is waiting for you and your contribution can add value to your universe.  Certainly students today will appreciate your efforts- so will those whose lives you will affect with your participation in today’s web.

Looking forward to that special occasion or vacation is something we can’t help but fill our minds with as we go through the day to day stress of the work week.  Even as I reflect back on my most recent beach get-away, I reach for my pay stub and desperately scan my banked vacation days, planning my next retreat.

If we always look forward are we really ever experiencing life’s little treasures present in our present?  Yesterday I decided to accompany my friend to celebrate the day through the warm rays of the morning sunrise.  To make it even more special, we sat on the beach and gazed at the new sun as it peaked over the ocean.  It was so beautiful and such a wonderful present in my present.  I long to go back to that moment when the young sun sprinkled my eyelashes with it glowing gold youthful beams but if I dwell on that gift for too long I will miss something today.  Like the excitement of my daughter when she conquered a long lived fear or the expression on my son’s face when he caught his first wave at a recent surfing lesson- these are life’s gifts and if we long for yesterday or dip too far in the future, we will miss the best parts of today.

My friend bought me a book to thank me for reminding her of the importance of living in her present.  The Precious Present by Spencer Johnson “has nothing to do with wishing”, only with being content with your present.

So each day we have to find our sunrises in our present- the precious gifts that surround us but that we sometimes miss wishing for tomorrow, obsessing about things we can’t change or reminiscing about yesterday’s moments.  These beautiful sunrises can be big or small, obvious or hidden, spectacular or simple.  Whatever the size or purpose for your sunrise, experience it fully today and keep your eyes focused on your present.